Vernon Hill Special Policing District Live Blog 7/17/13

Wednesday

Jul 17, 2013 at 10:09 PM

Posted By Walter Bird Jr.

Event being held at Worcester Academy

About 50 or so people at meeting

Mayor Joe Petty:&nbsp;We heard you loud and clear over last several years. Conditions are sometimes unacceptable. We've asked city manager over last year, Councilor Russell, we've been asking city manager several months about how you strengthen city neighborhoods. When you're healthy whole city's healthy. We take this very seriously. We're here to help, trying to address the crime issues in this part of the city. If this works well here, hopefully we can expand upon it.

Mullen Sawyer, Oak Hill CDC: Dedicated to working with residents, businesses, city officials, just about anybody who cares. Oak Hill around 42 years. Created $25m in real estate development.&nbsp; Done 188 units over those 42 years. Half to first-time homebuyers, half are rental units. Crime in Harrison/Providence streets neighborhood has been cut in half. It was highest crime district in area. Everything is changing. I&nbsp;drove in and parked my car and saw three tow trucks and every car in our neighborhood ... they gave a day to move and if they didn't move it they towed it. They did seven drug busts. How did they know where to go, you all told them where to go. They stationed patrol men from Operations Division in our office and going through Grafton Street, Dorchester Street, Vernon Street, Providence Street. We have elderly complex at 36 Upsala Street, 60 units low-income elderly. They've had some issues. Property manager called me and said we need police to respond. I&nbsp;asked Officer Lovely, took him 4 minutes to walk and meet with residents. Now going back everyday and people are stopping him and thanking him. It's our job to go to city and constantly remind them of the public safety, quality of life, business, it's also a tax base. Yes we are neighborhood under siege, but first time I can remember the people that would like to live in peace and prosper, are winning.

City earmarked $300,000 for assistance. Russell said that's not enough and they put aside $500,000.

Experimental District is a precinct. Guys are going to have first precinct in 70 years. Precinct without a building. Traffic enforcement, foot men going to be up here every single year. It's a mini police district. Lt. Mike Mckiernan will be your mini-chief.

We need you to talk to us, tell us what your problems are. The chief is so committed to this, ti's the natural evolution of policing.

Garbage on the streets, as soon as the officers call, just a quick call to DPW, they're coming up and taking care of it because they have that connection. Your problems are our problems. This experimental police district is about you and us. This is first one, but I&nbsp;could foresee this as another, having another district and we'll just be calling it Community Policing District. It's here and it's here to stay. It's policing at its best.

District runs: Vernon and Jefferson east up to Winthrop, up hill to Heyward, extend across through WA across Shannon to Dorchester, down over to ?, back down to 290. Include both sides of Grafton Street. It can expand, constrict. It's not etched in stone.

Sawyer:&nbsp;We have highest foreclosure rate in this community, No. 6 in commonwealth. Lots of federal, state, local, foundation funds are going to be earmarked here. Up to residents to decide what we do with these things to have the best effect. It's really comprehensive, something you dream about and never think it's going to happen.

&nbsp;When you see the statistics of our neighborhood with crime, kids not succeeding in school, 84 percent of our children don't have primary doctor, all of these things are being put in the pot. What are the effects of CSX with diesel fumes, there's health, there's other things. We're looking at it comprehensively. down payment.

&nbsp;Man: I&nbsp;live on Upper Grafton Street. Drug deals right in front of my eyes. Saw them break into four cars, called police, took an hour to respond.

Sargent: We have impact division out there, another seven or eight officers. (says part of problem is dispatching. Not an excuse, but they should be dispatching immediately)

Sargent: On any emergency it's 911. These officers will be out there, but you don't wait for them, make the call.

Man 2: Live in Green Island, no question there will be spillover of crime. It's happened before.

Sargent: On other side of this, this isn't just about the crime. Part of it is we're following these bad people through court system and holding them accountable. Have great relationship with DA's office. The spillover, it's not like we're pushing the crime. We're looking at cleaning up the neighborhood as a total ... as a city project, good people in all the neighborhoods.

Steele:&nbsp;There's always going to be displacement. Your neighborhood watch groups are going to be more important than ever. What happens is a lot of times there's displacement of crime and by the time our stats catch up, several crimes have occurred. So neighborhood watches are more important than ever. Green Island has a neighborhood watch.This experiment is not going to replace neighborhood watches.

Dante Comparetto: I'd like us to be open minded about other approaches. Collaborative approach. Talks about book with David Kennedy.

Sargent: We've dealt with David Kennedy regularly. We have done that strategy, going after leaders and talking to them.&nbsp;It is a trial and unit. Was in gang unit 13 years. He has done ride along with us. What you're seeing here is probably from when I first started in 1993 when I started with gangs, this is probably fifth generation. We have by far the best gang unit definitely in this state, there's no doubt about it. They follow history of the gangs, they know them individually. They know their families.

District 3 City Councilor George Russell (was late because of Greenwood Street area meeting): I'm happy to serve in any way I can.

Woman 1: Live down be Dell Ave. On other side is Pilgrim Ave. Tone of trafficking going on. From May 22, we've had about 10 deals going on. We have some photos, license plate numbers. Intercepted one in progress. To me, I'm like what's the solution? Sometimes as crime watch people it gets tiring, because you feel like you're the only one. The drop-offs between 12 in afternoon and 2 p.m. That's when you see all the interaction going on. People pulling up, switching cars. You've got the real desperadoes waiting for their drugs, they'll come up and pick them up anywhere. I've called (police) so many times. When I&nbsp;call, someone might say no you need to call this number, it's a different situation all the time.

Sargent tells her to call the Tipline

Woman 1: Talks about about a vacant house, a tall brick building. You said the police officers walking the beat, doing it by Cumberland Farms, Honey Farms. Can we get some cars to patrol around Pilgrim Ave, Claredon?

Sargent: We'll look at that when we go through our tactical areas.

Woman 2: We've been going to police, been going for years. Think you guys are pushing them from CVS&nbsp;up the hill

Man 3: Every Friday and Saturday, bunch of people up Harrison Street, overflow parking, 300 people, with bars closing, 2, 3 a.m. Defecate on lawns, screaming, yelling. I've observed at times 200 people wreaking havoc on neighborhood. Contributing to this unpleasant environment. We need to have some type of presence at that time.

Sargent: We didn't know that was a problem. We know Water Street. We go over the crime stats. This is great, now we know. Without the stats, we look for strategies.

Sargent::&nbsp;We'll come up with a strategy and then we'll put that strategy in place. We can certainly address that.

Woman 3: You're doing a great job. Keep it up.

Woman 4: Vacant lot corner of Dorcehster/Providence, No. 66. Weeds growing over sidewalk. City has him in court. I live in house next to it.&nbsp;I cannot see out my window. How can I do my crime watch. I&nbsp;have special request.

Woman 5:&nbsp;As pedestrian in this area, crosswalks - I&nbsp;can't get cross the street because none of the cars will stop.

Man 4: I&nbsp;understand Dunkin Donuts being built on Grafton Street where building was torn down. This is going to be a flippin' nightmare. People don't even know how to drive now and you're going to put a DD there which is a mecca?

Man 5: I&nbsp;had no idea about this going on. I&nbsp;just got one of the flyers.

Sargent:&nbsp;We started the flyers. It got out there.

Man 5: Take a look at the element )at this meeting). Ther's not a mixed element.

Sargent:&nbsp;We're going to do it once a month, not to this extent, just for the districxt itself.